Nokia warns consumers of battery overheating risk

During the past couple of years, you may have read a number of stories about exploding batteries in phones, laptops, and other devices due to manufacturing deficiencies. Nokia, the world's leading maker of mobile phones, today became the latest company to announce a massive battery recall after around 100 incidents of overheating were reported globally.

The warning affects about 46 million Nokia BL-5C batteries made by Japanese firm Matsushita, between December 2005 and November 2006, which are used in a wide range of Nokia phones, from its low-end 1100 family of products to its pricier N91 and E60 devices. Apparently, the batteries could suffer a short circuit while charging, causing the unit to overheat, expand, and pop out of the phone. The Finnish company said there was no risk of fire and that no serious injuries or property damage have been reported.

The company has set up a website for Nokia owners to input the identification number found on the batteries in their phones, in order to determine if the BL-5C battery they are using is subject to the recall.